Collector shoe and conductor bus bar



Feb. 25, 1958 A. B. TAYLOR 2,824,911

COLLECTOR SHOE AND CONDUCTOR BUS BAR l Filed Dec. 5, 1953 WWW/5M MEW Vshowing the insulating shield.

In the drawing, an electrical conductor bus bar denoted United States Patent i COLLECTOR SHOE AND CONDUCTOR BUS BAR Ashton B. Taylor, Pittsburgh, Pa. Application December 3, 1953, Serial No. 395,950

2 Claims. (Cl. Y19125) This invention relates to van electrical trolley system and is especially designed for electrifying conveying systems where inclines as well as turns of varying radii are encountered, although, of course, it may be used for any purpose for which-it issutable.

It has been found to be particularly useful in connection with electrical tramways, monorails, cranes and other types of similar equipment where it is essential to maintain, at all times, the lmaximum area of Contact between the collector shoe and the conductor bus bar in order to insure full How ofl power through the collector shoe and to the equipment with which the system is being used.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide an electrical bus bar and a collector shoe for cooperation therewith which will at all times insure full contact between the two even where the bus bar is inclined from the horizontal or is of curved construction while at -the same time compensating for warpage of the conductor bus bar either vertically or horizontally'.

Another object is to provide a shaped conductor bus and a collector shoe mating therewith, which will prevent any possibility of the shoeslipping oiT of the bus bar regardless of the irregularities in the bus bar whether vertical, -horizontal or a combination of both.

A further object is to provide a collector shoe mounting which will permit universal movement of the shoe while at the same time yieldingly urging it into contact withthe conductor bus so that the shoe maintains its full contact even though the shoe support may move transversely to one side or the other of the collector bus.

Still another object is to provide a spreader which is carried by the shoe support which not only acts to separate the insulated shield carried by thebus bar to permit the shoe to travel along the conductor bus, but at the same therewith.

A still further object is to so shield the movable parts of the collector shoe mounting that dirt, dust and other injurious factors are excluded thereby insuring satisfactory operation even under the most adverse operating conditions.

vOther objects and advantages will be apparent as the description proceeds, it being understood that the present embodiment represents only the preferred form of the invention and that changes and modifications may be resorted to, so long as they fall within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings which 'i form a part hereof,

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary side elevation of the conductor ,bus and collector shoe of my invention,

Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view.V through the bus bar and shoe, Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view of the collector shoe and its mounting taken at right angles to Fig. l,

Fig. 4 is a top plan view of Fig. 3, and v Figure 5 is a fragmentary view similar to Figure'Z but 2,824,911 Patented Feb. 25, 1958 rice A generally at 10 is shown and a collector shoe 11 engages the bus bar for sliding movement therealong.

The bus bar 10Yis shaped as shown in section in4 Fig. 2 and comprises the downwardly converging arms 12 and 12 forming a V and having a rib 13 projecting downwardlyy from the junction of the arms Y12 and 12'..

Extending laterally from the arms 12 andy 12' on lopposite sides of thebusbarare wings 14m-1d 15 against which the collector shoe rides, itbeing noted that the rib 13 projects below the lower, faces of the wings 14 and 15 for a purpose whichwill be later described.

The collector shoe 11 is likewise shaped as shown in section. in Fig, 2A and comprises an elongated metallic block of good conduetingmaterial having a groove 16pxtending longitudinally thereof at its upper surface and hav.- ing'a spherical socket 17 in its lower face provided with aring Walls 18 Vat the entrance to the socket to permit the shoe to, partake lof universal' rocking movements on its support which will be later described.

As shown in Fig. V2 the rib 13 on the conductor bus projects downwardly. into the groove 116 in the shoe, and since the groove is wider than the width of the rib 13, it lwill be obvious that the shoevmay move transversely of. the bus bar and that even though the bus bar is curved, the shoe will ride on-the wings 14 and 15 around such 4curves and maintain full contact with the bus bar. The relationship of therib 13 to the groove 16 is such, howeverthat the shoe can never move transversely of the bus bar to such an extent that it will slip oit of the edges of the wings 14 and 15 and thereby interrupt the proper flow of power.

This same relationship between `the rib 13. ,and, groo ve 16 permits relative horizontal movementbetweenthe bus bar and shoe due to irregularities, which invariably occur inj the manufacture of either the'bus bar or .shoe or both.

Since the shoe 11 slidably engages the bus. bar 10 .considerable friction is generated, and while any good conducting material may be used in making the shoe, s uch as copper, it has been found that'friction and wear can be reduced by forming the shoe ofcopperg graphite, `and a suitable binder material compacted to form ,a dense, relatively non-porousmaterial'havinglong life and which may be produced by extruding the mass through: dies which impart thereto the desired conhguration.V Similar- 1y, the bus bar may be formed of extruded Vmetal of a similar character, although both the busbar and shoe may be formed in any suitable manner.

As heretofore stated, the shoe 11 is provided with a spherical socket 17. The shoe is supported by a metallic stud 19 having a spherical upper end 20 fitting within the socket 17 and beingl `tubular at its other end ,asiat 21 to receive the lead .conductor v227 as shown in Fig. 3,.

Surrounding the stud 19 and secured thereto isy ametallic terminal block 2,3. Thisblock and the shoe are connected by means of tlexible shunt wires 24 and 25 so that current collected by the shoe will pass through the shunt wires, terminal block, and mounting stud to the lead conductor 22.

By means of the foregoing structure it will be seen that the shoe is free to partake of universal movement relative to the stud' 19, while maintaining contact with the bus bar. Y

The stud 19 Vis press fitted into the upper end j of a tubular plunger 26, and in order to prevent relative turning movement between ,the stud and plunger, the stuglfis provided with a knurled outer surface 27, ,and theA stud is prevented from moving downwardly relative to the plunger by means of a shoulder 28, formed yby a reduction in bore of the tubular plunger 26. 1 "i It is obvious, of course, that the plunger'mnst of insulatingmateriahand since such material inherently is of a yieldahle character, theistud 19 is firmly 'gi'ippeii as it is forced into the bore of the plunger.

Disposed belowV the terminal block 23 and clamped between said block and the upper end of the plunger 26,

is a spreader 28 Vwhi-ch serves the dual function of protecting the shuntwires 24 and 25 from damage and also to spread or separate 'the walls of a shieldjmemberS to form a trough forthe 'reception of the shunt wires 24V 'consists of Ya "base 29.. andV and 25, andwhile thepwalls are shown Yas converging Y downwardly' toward the base, this is notressential. s

The walls 30 and 31, as 'clearly shown in' Figs. 2 and 4, merge into vertically extending points 32 at opposite ends of the spreader sothat asfthe shoe travels along theconductor bus the pointed ends wedge the walls of the shield S apart to permit travelof the Vshoe alongthe tion contemplates means for resiliently urging these mem- K Ybers into contact so thatjthe desired objectis obtained. .g

Plunger 26 is received in a steel tube 34, 'the plunger being of such sizethat it may freely slide within'the. tube. 'The steel'tube 34 is rigidly fixed to and supported by a metal bottom collar35, which surrounds the tube, and the collar is provided with diametrically opposed open- 'ings or recesses 36 and 37. 'i

'Y A compression Yspring 38 isinterposed between Vthe 'collar' 35 and the spreader 28 and due toits Yexpansion urges the plunger, spreaden, stud, terminalv block, and

shoe, toward the bus bar, thereby maintaining resilient Ycontact between the shoe and bus bar atrall times.

'In order to exclude dust, dirt, or otherrmaterial from interfering with the sliding action ofthe plunger V26 and to protect the spring, there isY provided a exible, collapsible, and 4expansible bellows 39 which surrounds the'spring The lower end ofthe bellows ssecured withinva recessl `40 in the bottom block 35 by means of a split ring 41 and is secured at its upper end by means'of a split ring 42 which clamps the upper end against an annular iiange 43 formed on a` disc 44 abutting the lower face of the spreader 28. `By this construction the contraction and expansion of the spring is permitted but thefenclosed parts are vfully protected. i

It frequently happens in installation ofY trolley systems that the bus bar is not atall times inalignment with the Y shoe support whether it be dueto faultyY construction or warpage of the parts, and in order to take care ofysucrh conditions the'shoe support must be capable of mov- Y ing transversely of the bus bar while the shoe is in contact with the bus bar. Y 'Y Y The present invention is designed `to permit the shoe support to moveto one side or the other of the bus bar as the shoe moves along the bus bar and is accomplished Y by pivotally supporting the bottom collar to permit swinging movement of the steel tubes34, the plunger 26 and yits associated parts while the universal Yjoint between the stud 19 and shoe 11 permits the shoe'to ride on the bus '.bar without tilting which wouldkbreak contact between Athe shoe and one or other of the wings 14, 15 on the bus bar. I'

As stated, thebottorn-collar is provided withopenings ,lnrpattd-HZH.z A U-shaped mounting bracket45 encircles I/th'eebottom collar and Vis supported vby threaded rods V46 l p and'47 ysecured thereto and which may be connected to 75 72,668,199,

1 'i From the a towing bar or other suitable support.` The rod 47 pro jects throughthe bottom collar 35 and into the opening 37 in the bottom collar and forms a trunnion about which the collar rotates. `At the opposite side of the bracket a bolt 48 is threaded through an opening in the bracket and has a reduced'end49 tting into the opening 36in thebottom collar where it forms Ya. trunnion,;\$vliich ,with the trunnion formed by the bolt47 permits the rcollar 35 topivot within YtheV ,bracket 45 and thereby prevent tiltingofA thecollector shoegaway. fromrthe bus bar. The bolt Y48 isheld in proper position Vby means of a locknut 50,1 andV by'removing this nut and turning the bolt 48 to withdraw the trunnion 49 from the opening frep'airp Y l Y N ,-.I is foregoing, it willV bek seen that-'in use-fthecollector shoe must be mounted onv a bracket-or' other ,sup-

supported structures-may be removed for; replacementior porticarried by Ythe apparatus that uses thef'current; @The shoe must travel Vin a path directly under and in -contactV -with the bus bar.

Since it can be understoodthat the irelativepaths of the apparatus and the conductor bus 'would not always be perfectly parallel and fin alignment, Y Y some provision isnecesssary to absorb vertical variations and also sideways motion ofthe apparatus. ,Y

The .vertical play is readily compensated byY the fspring floaded plunger, and horizontalmovementof` theapparatus transversely Yof the bus bar which ,would tend Vto throwv the shoe off of the track is taken care -of byV the-ball tandV socket-joint between theY stud and shoe asf-wellk as tithe pivotal mounting of the shoe support in its bracket.

The only force being Vtransmitted to the yshoe isfoneftend- J .:in'g to keep the'shoe pressed against the bus bar. -g1`he Vgroove in the shoe mating with the downwardly proj'ctingrib on the bus barwill prevent the shoe from slipping `offof the track under extreme sideways thrusts, and in view of the, dimensions of said rib and groove the bus.V bar can'be curved in a horizontal plane with no appreci-V able loss of contact surface between theshoe and bus bai'. I claim: i

1. An electrical trolley system comprisingvla conductor` :busV bar element, an insulating-shield Asurrounding saidf bus bar and having depending abutting wings extending n f. below said bar, a collector shoe comprising an elongated vblock of conducting materialadapted to engage and slide :along said .conductor bus bar, a support for said'shoe i-n- .cluding a universal joint between the support and shoe, 'iiexible shunt wires connecting saidshoe andsupport Vand a spreader onsaid support beneath said wires for spreadj .ing apart the wings of an insulating shield surrounding` i said bus bar, said spreader having pockets therein housing said wires to prevent contact with and damage to said wires. Y

' i i 2. A system as recited in claim 1 in which the spreader -is Vpr'ovided'with upstanding wallsat opposite sides thereof and at opposite ends to form said pockets, said walls merging into oppositely facing points at the ends of the espreader whereby the spreader houses saidshu't wires j and spreads an insulating shield-surrounding said bus bar "as the shoe travels alongsaid bus bar. Y Y

' References YCited of patient 'Y UNHED ,STATES PATENTS 

